Paralyzed
by thattangledweb
Summary: When a garbled spell turns Harry into a virtual Statue, who will wake him up?


(A/N)- A Snarry, so all the usual disclaimers and warnings apply. I do not own Harry Potter, or Severus Snape, although if I did... creepy giggle :3 anyway. Enjoy! Fluffy/Sweet/cute. Please Don't flame. I'm warning you now. Harry Potter and Severus Snape Love Ahead. No Likey- You know where the back button is, use it.

To those of you who like it- ENJOY! AND REVIEW!!! XD

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Harry heard the spell and cringed. It was mispronounced and garbled. It was also headed straight toward him. He knew he should duck, but he couldn't quite make his muscles move. He couldn't move at all. Maybe this was the spell already. It left him paralyzed, still as a statue until they could figure out how to break the spell.

Thankfully he didn't need to eat. He wasn't hungry, and his body wasn't moving, so, Harry guessed that he didn't need it. His body was frozen exactly as it was, arm slightly outstretched, mouth slightly open, right foot slightly forward, but his mind was as mobile as ever. He was worried for a while that he would get knocked over, and no one would dare pick him up, but as he was in the hallway outside the Great Hall, no one dared to bump into him.

He stayed, undisturbed, for two days, before Dumbledore figured out how to reverse the spell. A kiss from someone that would elicit such an emotional response from him that he moved without thinking would unbind him. Harry thought that he would slap them, because honestly, he didn't think that he could find someone that would bring forth such a response without being horribly disgusting. And for that, he could only think of a man kissing him.

Thankfully, the girls all tried first. Ginny started the trend. She kissed his frozen lips, and Harry didn't feel anything. Then all the girls took up the banner. They all wanted to be the one to wake Harry up. Harry would swear that every girl in the school tried, with two noticeable exceptions, Cho and Hermione. They didn't even try. Hermione knew he was gay, and Cho had kissed him before, only to find that it was like kissing a dead fish. He didn't want to be kissed.

After all the girls were done, the openly gay guys tried. Dean and Seamus were the first two. Harry mentally laughed. They weren't going to do it. Harry didn't think anyone could.

He was getting used to being a statue. He didn't have to work, he couldn't move; all he really had to do was think and watch people. He learned to read people so well that he knew who was going to kiss him next. They weren't all quite so forward as Dean and Seamus. Some of the guys would walk past him four times, and then, just before curfew, they would come back and pretend like they were just walking by, and brush their lips on his own.

Not to say that all of the guys tried. There were a few, but by no means the amount of girls that tried. Harry was thankful of the cleaning spells that the Professors whispered at him as they passed. Some students whispered one before they kissed him. Harry wasn't offended. He really didn't want so many lips on his anyway.

He stayed as a statue for almost three months. Lucky him, he would have to make up almost a semester of work. Oh well, whoever woke him up could help him.

Nearing the end of semester, the kisses slowed to a trickle; fewer and fewer were kissing him. Everyone that tried already knew they couldn't, and everyone who hadn't tried didn't want to.

But apparently not. Harry was standing through the night at his mandatory post when Snape walked toward Harry with a glint in his eye. He settled himself beside Harry's arm- which fit right at his hip, and leaned in a bit. His lips brushed Harry's, and Harry felt a tingling sensation. He gripped Snape's hip to pull him closer, his other hand rising to rifle through Snape's hair to cup the back of his head, keeping his lips on Harry's. Snape's arms fell around his waist, and drug him yet closer to the tall man.

Harry gasped away from Snape's questing mouth. "Professor," Harry half-whispered. "Why did you--" Harry was cut off by Snape's lips. This kiss was fiercer than the first, and no less potent. Harry went stock still, afraid that the spell would return, but it was only shock. He responded to the kiss with a force that he didn't know existed. Snape nibbled at his lower lip, silently asking for entry. Harry opened his mouth, and Snape explored the cavern with his tongue. Harry's tongue responded to the challenge. He dipped his tongue into Snape's mouth and tasted ambrosia, but he was still skeptical about Snape's motives. He forced himself to control his body's reactions to Snape's kiss.

He backed away. Snape followed him. "Snape, why?" Harry gave him a look that said 'tell me, you know you want to. Just tell me and I'll give you what ever you want.' The look was a bit desperate, but Harry didn't care.

Snape just stared deep into his eyes, searching. Harry felt some part of his soul respond. His heart leapt. He knew why it was Snape's kiss that woke him. It was because he'd always had a bit of a crush on his Potions Master. He'd denied it for the longest time, but he was in love with him.

Harry bit his lip. "Snape I…" Harry trailed off; he didn't want to look the fool. And confessing your deep and abiding love for your professor made one look like a fool.

"Harry." Snape made Harry's name sound like the gentlest sigh; Snape saying Harry's name made it sound like he only ever wanted to talk to him. Harry wished it could be that way. "Harry," Snape looked down. "This is where it stops. No more. I'm your teacher. It's wrong. Not to mention that the Dark Lord would destroy you if he knew." Snape looked at him in earnest. "This can't continue. I woke you up, that must be the end of it." He looked as if he wanted to kiss Harry again, but he sighed and walked away. Harry stood still out of habit for a moment. Then he realized that he could go back to his own room. He dashed away, part of him feeling relief, but most of him wanting to tackle Snape and kiss him into submission.

He ran all the way to the Gryffindor common room. It was midnight, but there were still a few people lingering about. Ron and Hermione were in their favorite chairs beside the fire. They looked up, surprised, and then flung themselves into his arms for hugs and welcomes. It took them all of five seconds to ask who woke him up. Harry rolled his eyes, and told them that they'd find out with everyone else. "Tomorrow at breakfast, I swear." He excused himself and went to his room.

He undressed and climbed into bed. It was a bit musty, but he didn't mind. He could sleep; for the first time in three months he would sleep through the night. He fell into an exhausted sleep with the taste of Snape on his lips and the image of him in his mind.

HPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSS

Harry woke the next morning to people in his bed. "Who are you and why are you here?" he squinted, trying to see what the damage was, before he realized that he needed his glasses to see. He put on his glasses- after having to wrestle them away from Ron- to see that nearly every one of his friends were there. And he was in his underwear. "Thanks, guys. Now, could you please vacate the room so that I can put on some proper clothes? Like I told Ron and Hermione last night, you'll just have to find out with every one else." He glared pointedly in Ron and Hermione's direction. Luckily, they were close together. They'd been very close while he was a statue, and now he was realizing that they were closer than they were before. "Everyone Out! Oh, Ron- Congratulations. Hermione? Good luck with 'im." He jerked a thumb at Ron. "Now, OUT! You lot!" He shooed them away, and when the last hangers on still stood in the doorway, he threatened to strip in front of them just to make them go. Luckily Dean and Seamus had already gone, or they'd have taken him up on the offer.

He clothed himself. He dressed up slightly; he had work to do today. He smirked to himself, and snuck out of the dorm, so he could walk to the Great Hall alone. He stood outside the doors hidden until almost halfway through breakfast, and then burst into the room. He stalked to the Staff Table. He waved at Dumbledore, who wanted him to make a speech. Harry complied.

"I suppose by now, you're all wondering who broke the binding spell. Now, those of you who tried- you know it's not you. Those of you who didn't try- you know too. Who succeeded? Severus Snape." Harry Smiled in his direction. Snape looked horrified. "Why Snape you wonder? Well, look at him… He's hot. I know, I know, that's not a good enough reason, right? Well," Harry smirked, "He's also a very good kisser. Not good enough you say? He's the last one to try? Still no good?" Harry faked a look of dejection. "Maybe I'll just have to tell everyone the real reason."

He turned to Snape. His eyes were wide and pleading. They were keeping a constant mantra of "No, please." Harry wanted to know why. He whirled around with a look of devilish glee. "Maybe not." He walked out of the Hall. He could tell by the silence that stayed until seconds after he left the Great Hall that Snape had followed him. He waited in the entrance hall for his enraged Potions Master.

"What the bloody hell was that about, Potter?" To say that Snape looked angry would be a severe understatement. "Why in the name of Merlin would you tell them that it was _I_ who woke you up, when a lie would have served your purposes much better? You push the envelope too far Potter! You'll get yourself turned in to Voldemort for this little stint!"

Harry watched amusedly as Snape ranted about Harry's lack of foresight and stupidity. His brash behavior. Finally his rage calmed, luckily, Dumbledore had held everyone back at breakfast, so no one heard the Potions Master muttering like a lunatic. Harry felt it was time to let everyone out of breakfast. He stuck his head in the Great Hall and waved to Dumbledore. Dumbledore took the hint and winked, bright eyes twinkling. Harry smiled and returned to a very frustrated Snape. "Sorry, professor, but I'm afraid we need to continue this conversation in a more private place. Professor Dumbledore has been kind enough to grant us a little privacy here, but people are starting to wonder in there. Could you suggest a place?" Harry smiled brightly at him.

Severus glared. "I do not see that there is anything to discuss. This conversation is over as soon as you tell me why you just told the whole school that it was I that woke you."

"Ah, but it is a long story. I may need a while to complete the telling. In which case I suggest we find a private place- very much like your office- where we could talk, so that the whole of the school does not hear me confess my love for you." Harry looked as the doors flew open. "That was close. I'm glad they didn't hear that I just—" Harry was cut off rather abruptly when Snape clamped a hand over his mouth and drug him off in the direction of the dungeons. Inside Harry was laughing. Snape's action was much more telling than the silly little speech he made. He was saving him the trouble of having to explain to the whole school that Harry Potter was dating the Potions Master, a Death Eater, and Spy Extraordinaire.

They reached the Dungeon and a very blank stretch of wall. He said something that sounded like Wolfsbane- which was an obvious password, and a granite gargoyle about Harry's height stepped out of the wall. He looked at Snape. "I guess there's no point in asking _you_ the password." He said while rolling his stone eyes, "You were the one who told me. But this one," he glanced at Harry, "I have to question." This was odd behavior from a gargoyle, but he supposed that it was only Snape that could find such a strange gargoyle, and then put it to use as a gatekeeper.

"How many questions do I have to answer before you'll permit me entrance?" Harry asked politely; he just wanted to get it over with so he could talk to Snape.

"Two correctly, however you have a limit of three that you can miss. At most: five, at least: two. What," he paused dramatically, "Is the name of Severus's godchild?"

Harry blinked at the gargoyle. This was not what he expected at all- something to do with complex and rare potions would have suited Snape better. As to the answer to this question, he had no clue. He said the name of the first Slytherin that came to mind. "Draco Malfoy," Harry deadpanned.

"Very good." A crack in the stone appeared in the shape of a door. Snape rolled his eyes.

"Get on with it, Alastair. I don't have all day." This however did not speed up the gargoyle's questioning any at all.

"What," another annoyingly dramatic pause in which Snape huffed angrily, "is the name of the cleverest witch of your age?" Harry's brain stopped. Hermione. But Snape couldn't possible have this as the answer. She was a Gryffindor. He decided to answer anyway; if he got it wrong, he still had another three questions. Snape tapped his foot huffily.

"Hermione Granger." The gargoyle rolled his eyes and sank back into the wall.

He was not, however with out his parting shot. "I'm surprised that he got it right. Gryffindors are notoriously dim." His stone claw became the door handle. Snape pushed it in and the door slid noiselessly a foot back and then left into the wall behind it. Snape tugged Harry in, and slapped his right hand at the wall with a resounding crack. The door immediately sprung closed.

"Sit." He indicated one of the armchairs, while he took the other. Harry sat on the edge of the dark fabric, expecting to be stabbed by thousands of spikes, but none emerged. He scooted back, so that he was properly seated on the very comfortable chair. He avoided looking at Snape. It was one thing to talk to the whole school, quite another to playfully annoy, but neither compared to the nervousness he felt when he sat in Snape's office. He silently plucked at the arm of the chair, absently noting that the color he first took as black was, in fact, a very deep green. Snape broke the awkward silence. "How did you know that Draco was my godson?" He arched a brow in Harry's direction. Okay, so he was looking at Snape instead of looking at the chair. The chair was a front. It was green though, he thought defensively, but he had to admit that he only knew it because it didn't quite match the black of Snape's robes.

"I didn't. I said the name of the first Slytherin student to come to mind." Harry's mouth walked away from him while his mind looked at Snape appreciatively. "Why was Hermione the answer to the second question?"

"She really is the brightest witch of her age." Harry could hear the resignation in Snape's voice- he didn't like it that she was in Gryffindor, that she _was_ a Gryffindor. "I'm just glad you didn't get to the third question." Harry jerked his eyes away from the column of Snape's throat, and looked him in the eyes.

"Yeah? And what is the Third question?"

"Who is the cutest, most annoying person in this school?" Harry was shocked at the juvenile question.

"And who is that?" he asked by reflex.

"Harry James Potter." Harry gaped at him in astonishment.

"Me?" he choked out.

"Yes, Potter, you. But there are more important things to talk about." He looked at Harry searchingly. "Why on earth did you tell the whole school that I unbound you?" Harry blushed and looked away- anywhere but Snape's beautiful face. He noted for the first time the austere beauty of the room. It was uncluttered, and yet still personal. Dark, yet well lit. Almost spartan, but comfortable. The room was exactly like Snape. Beautiful, plain and harsh. He tried desperately to change the subject.

"This room reminds me of you." Harry said wistfully.

"You do not need to be reminded of me, as I am sitting right here. I need you to answer my question. Why?" Harry blushed. He sounded so sincere. Not snarky, like he normally did- which to tell the truth, was sincere, but he asked like he wanted to know, like it was important. Harry sighed.

"Why did I tell them? Because if I didn't tell them the truth, then I could never have hope. At least now it won't come as quite a shock if I date the Potions Master. They know you woke me up, and they know the stipulations under which it happened. And thanks to my little speech at Breakfast, they know I think you're hot. But thanks to you, they do not know the real reason. You pleading with me not to tell them means they still do not know that Harry Potter is in love with Severus Snape."

"You are?" Snape sounded so genuinely surprised, that Harry withheld the desire to smack himself in the forehead.

"Of course I love you, you dope." Only after the words left his mouth did he realize what he said. And how foolhardy it was to call Severus Snape, a dope.

Snape stood, and stalked to where Harry was sitting. He placed his knee between Harry's on the chair and bent forward to put his face in very close proximity to Harry's. He entangled his fingers with Harry's and brought their joined hands up to rest beside Harry's head. Harry felt a little zing run through him and his heart raced. Was Snape going to kiss him? The uncertainty raced through him. Harry could feel the hot puffs of breath on his face. Harry looked up, into Snape's eyes. For a moment, he saw something- something hopeful- but that was quickly overshadowed by the hissing pain of being called by the Dark Lord. "He knows I have to teach, so he will not expect me until evening." Snape paused as if to wonder why he was telling Harry Potter this, and brought his argument to the forefront. "You see? I could be called at anytime. If this-us- is to happen- which it is not- I would be putting you in great danger. Not only am I a Death Eater, which is certainly bad enough and part of His Inner Circle, which is worse, but I am also a spy, which puts you at greater risk." He let his head fall to Harry's shoulder with a sigh.

Harry didn't know what to say, so he let the words out without knowing what he was saying. "Love is always a risk. One never knows who they are falling in love with. I have had the lucky experience of knowing most of the bad, and only some of the good. Yet I love you anyway. Severus," it was the first time Harry used his name; it sounded unfamiliar, but comforting, "look at me." Severus's head came off his shoulder so he could look Harry in the eyes. Harry's free hand came up to cup Snape's cheek, while his other hand tightened its grip on Snape's fingers. "I, Harry James Potter, pronounced cutest and most annoying of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by none other than Severus Snape, Potions Master, Death Eater and Spy, love same Potions Master. I love him despite his Death Eater status, and for every silly little thing he has done for me." Harry smiled into Snape's eyes. The stricken look on Snape's face was as priceless as it was dazzling. It gave him the courage to continue. "I have very few fears. Dementors are one of them, but they do not even compare to the fear that I will lose you by telling you that I love you. It scares me witless. But I'm willing to risk it because of my other fear." Harry stopped, waiting for Snape to ask what that fear was.

"And what could you possibly fear more?"

"That you'll never know I love you. That is what has me paralyzed with fear every time I see you, every time I don't see you. Sometimes I don't know what hurts more, seeing you, or not seeing you." Harry smiled sadly and pressed a sweet kiss to Snape's lips. When he reluctantly pulled away, there were tears shining in his eyes. "Unrequited love is worst," Harry sighed.

Snape smiled. "I know. I've had that problem for quite a while. Some annoying boy, with beautiful eyes and a gorgeous smile, that for some reason, he never turned on me. And then, he was turned into a statue for three months. And no one seemed to be able to wake him up. And I barely dared to hope. Could it be…? When I gave in, and tried, I woke you up, and I realized all that was in my- our- way- because you seemed so willing- and I knew it couldn't happen. But then you forced the issue- and me to see reason- or madness, whichever it is. I don't seem to be preoccupied to care because Harry Potter, I love you."


End file.
